Sasuke's Sister
by hanatsukiko25
Summary: Ayame Uchiha is a new ninja at the Ninja Academy. She has trouble trying to get her father to notice her as an Uchiha and her brother Sasuke seems to have a problem with her new friend, Naruto. Could things get any worse? NarutoxOC
1. What It Takes to Be Proud

"Ayame! Wake up, honey, or you'll be late for your first day of the academy." Mikoto was just about to give up. She had tried most of her morning to get her youngest child ready for her first day at the academy. Ayame groaned, "Why? What's the point in going...?" Ayame said, and then dozed off again. "The Uchiha Clan has a long line of great ninja in its history. Itachi might as well be one of them. Don't you want to be like him?"

"No, mom, I want to be myself, not copying anyone. If I was to be a great ninja, like Itachi, you probably would've noticed by now my potential and dad probably would've liked me more..." She sighed. Her father only had eyes in helping his eldest son. He never had time for her and Sasuke; it was only Itachi that really caught his attention. Ayame sighed at that thought.

"Well maybe if you tried-" Mikoto was cut off by her tired daughter.

"That's just it-I've _been_ trying! He just thinks of me as some weak girl that will grow up to be just like _that_..."

"If that's how you feel, then why don't you try to prove him wrong?" Ayame looked up to see that her mother didn't say that. It was Itachi. Ayame sat up as Itachi stood in front of her. "You will only see if you're strong if you try to prove it to yourself. Mother is giving you the chance just to do that. Go to the academy and prove him wrong. I have faith in you, even if nobody does." And with that, Itachi left.

Mikoto turned to her daughter. "See? Itachi has faith in you too. Do you still want to go now?"

Ayame clenched her fist, with a determined look on her face. "Yeah. I'll get dressed and be on my way." Mikoto smiled, and then clapped her hands together. "Great! Tell me how it goes when you come home, okay?" Mikoto started to leave, "Bye honey!" Then Mikoto shut the door on her way out.

A few minutes later, Ayame was dressed and left out the door. She knew where the academy was. After all, when she was little she would go with her mother all the time to pick up Sasuke from the academy. Sasuke was to graduate from the academy in 3 years. Itachi graduated so fast, he's only 13 and he's already an Anbu Black Op. Yeah, that's amazing for you.

Her best friend of the only world she knew was Hanabi Hyuga. Even if the Uchiha and Hyuga didn't like each other very much, she never gave a care. Hanabi was her first and only friend. She wasn't about to give up the only hope of a friend she had.

Time past by like seconds as she entered the academy. Sasuke was waiting outside, sitting down near the doors. As soon as he caught her eye, he stood up and walked with her into the academy. It wasn't very crowded, but there were alot of people. Ayame sat down next to Hanabi and Sasuke sat next to his friends Neji and Shikamaru.

"Hey Ayame," Hanabi called, "So you joined the academy too. Well, I was forced to. What about you?"

"I...It`s not like I was forced to, it`s just-" Then she was cut off. Sasuke taped on her shoulder and pointed to the front of the room at the teacher. "Listen." She nodded.  
"Hello students! I see we have two new students today. Please, don't be shy! Come down here and introduce yourselves." Ayame and Hanabi both walked to the front of the room. Hanabi went first. "Alright, so what's your name?" The Sensei asked. "Hanabi Hyuga."

"What do you do the most?"

"Train with my father and sister."

"What kind of dreams do you have as a ninja?"

Hanabi looked down towards the ground, not honestly sure of that answer. She had never really given thought about it much. She glanced back up to Iruka-Sensei.

"To be a strong Hyuga. Not just for my family's honor, but to protect my friend."

"That's a very smart answer. Welcome to the academy, Hanabi."

"Thank you, sir." Hanabi walked back to her seat and sat down.

The Sensei looked over to Ayame. "What is your name?"

"Ayame Uchiha, sensei."

"Oh, part of the Uchiha clan? You must be Sasuke's sister."

"That I am, sensei."

Iruka-Sensei crouched down to meet her eye level. "You must be proud to have a strong older brother like Itachi, right?"

"Yes, of course." She fake smiled at that comment, yet some of her smile didn't feel faked, either. She felt honestly proud of her brother, yet she felt also it was because of him her own father didn't want to recognize her strength, even if he just told her to prove herself that she was very strong, but to mostly prove it to her father.

"That's good to hear. Welcome to the academy as well."

Ayame walked back to her seat and sat down. She could've sworn she saw the blonde, spiky haired boy of her class gazing at her, but she quickly brushed it off.

"Alright class. As most of you all know, my name is Iruka, and I will be your sensei. Now then, let's begin class..."

_A few hours later..._

The academy was officially over for the day. Everybody left, including Sasuke, leaving her and Naruto behind. She picked up her homework and started to head for the door, when all of a sudden Naruto jumped in front of her. "Hey Ayame!"

"Ah...hey Naruto. Can we talk later? I really need to get home today and finish all this homework."

"I could help you with it, if you're having trouble," He insisted.

"Well...no, it's alright. I'll see you later though. Bye!" She exclaimed and waved as she opened the doors and left the building.

"So how was the academy, Ayame? Did you see any of your friends?" Her mother asked as she entered her house. "Yes, but it's kinda boring there, though. But I guess I'll get used to it eventually."

"Well, I hope it gets more exciting for you. Try to make good grades, too. That would certainly make your father proud."

After she finished her homework, she went back outside to try and find Naruto. She was walking around when all of a sudden, she realized—

Sasuke was actually waiting for her!

"I thought you left already!" She exclaimed, surprised.

He smiled and shook his head. "I don't like being in the same room with _him._" Sasuke pointed to the entrance his sister had just come out of a while ago.

Naruto was still in the academy, but Iruka-Sensei had walked by and he had begun to chat with him.

Ayame looked up to her brother, "Oh, really? What did he do?"

"Nothing. It's who he is that really freaks me out."

Ayame jumped in front of him. "Sasuke, you know better than that! You shouldn't judge people from the outside." Ayame couldn't believe he just said that! To her, he was a kind brother who accepted everyone equally.

Sasuke shook his head again, in disgust. "You'll understand one day."

"No I won't, Sasuke. Naruto's one of my friends and I don't care what you say about him!" With that she stormed off back home, leaving Sasuke behind to think about his words.

Sasuke looked back into the Academy. 'Where the heck did that fox go?'

Suddenly, Iruka-Sensei came out one of the classroom doors and Sasuke swiftly hid next to the Academy door.

"Naruto, if you finish your homework for tonight I'll treat you to ramen for dinner. How does that sound?"

Naruto's eyes instantly lit up to the word 'ramen'. "You got it Iruka-Sensei! See you later!"

"Catch you later, Naruto."

Naruto ran past Sasuke, who was still hidden next to the Academy door.

Sasuke gave Naruto a look of disdain. 'I'll get you, stupid fox.'

Ayame decided to ignore what Sasuke said, and to make her day even better she decided to joyfully skip home, regardless if anyone told her otherwise. She was a part of the prestigious Uchiha clan, the strongest clan in Konohagakure. She really wanted to be proud, but it was really difficult to see her father have so much interest in Itachi that she and Sasuke were never even noticed. It pained her to even think about it.

"Mom! I'm home!" She took off her shoes at the door and placed her bag in her room. She came into the kitchen, but still no sign of her mother. 'Where could she have gone?' Ayame walked out of the kitchen to find her mother peacefully feeding birds in the back of the house.

Her mother turned to her. "Oh, there you are, Ayame. Did Sasuke come home with you today?"

Her mother handed her a piece of bread. She tore it apart and tossed it in front of the bird. "No, he didn't."

"Oh, I see. How was the Academy?"

"It was fun; I made a couple of new friends. This spiky haired boy said hi to me today."

Her mother, Mikoto, halted what she was doing and turned to her daughter. "Ayame, what was his name?"

Ayame sat down, a cheery smile on her face. She always liked to tell her mom the crazy things that happened on her day. "Sasuke said his name is Naruto. He's a really nice boy, but Sasuke really doesn't like him, for some reason."

Mikoto clenched her fists. More than anything in the world, she didn't want her baby girl to get hurt by the nine tailed fox kid. But he's also her friend, and she didn't want to take a friend away from her youngest child. Especially since she had_ just_ joined the Academy.

Mikoto sat down next to her daughter. "Well, I'm sure there's just a misunderstanding. You can be friends with whoever you want to be friends with, as long as they're nice."

"You really think so?" Ayame looked up to her mom.

Mikoto kissed the top of her forehead. "Of course I do. Now do you want to help me with dinner?"

Ayame grinned. "Yeah!"

Mikoto and Ayame entered the kitchen and began making the Uchiha family's dinner.

Sasuke was following Naruto to his home, and what he wanted to say made him so enraged he just couldn't wait until tomorrow to do it.

Both of them were in an alley. Just a few more twist and turns and Naruto would be home. Sasuke had to act fast. He ran in front of Naruto, grabbed him by his collar, and shoved him against the alleys wooden fence. "Ah!" Naruto shouted in pain as his head hit the fence. Sasuke's eyes glowed with anger.

He leaned his mouth to his ear, "If you do _anything _to hurt my baby sister, I will beat you the ground and make you regret ever hurting her. You got that, stupid fox?" Sasuke clenched his teeth as he spoke.

"What are you talking about! Just let me go!" Naruto struggled. He kicked Sasuke in the stomach, sending him into the ground. Sasuke quickly got up to strike Naruto, but he was stopped by a certain someone.

His brother, Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi had his finger on his brother's forehead again. Sasuke just stared at Itachi, astonished.

"Sasuke, this isn't what the Uchiha clan expects of you. You should know that."

Sasuke stared down at the ground in bewilderment. 'What was I thinking? Am I really going to let down my clan like this?'

Naruto looked at Sasuke, whose eyes no longer held any trace of anger in them.

Itachi turned to Naruto. "You need to get home. It's getting late." Naruto nodded, knowing he'd be safe, and continued his route to home.

Itachi looked at Sasuke. "What was your reason behind this, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked back up at Itachi, honesty in his eyes, "I...was afraid he'd hurt Ayame, and I tried to warn him to stay away from her."

"What made you think that would happen?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Itachi placed a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "We are both her family. We both will protect her when that time comes, if it ever does."

Sasuke nodded, a smile appearing on his small face. "Right. I guess I really didn't have a reason to act the way I did, huh?"

Itachi ruffled his brother's hair. "I won't tell anyone about this." Sasuke grinned as the two of them walked home together.

Ayame and her mother had just finished dinner as everyone came into the Uchiha home. Sasuke and Itachi had come in first, smiling and laughing together.

That was a sight that was rarely seen anymore, now that Itachi had become an Anbu Black-Op. He was always on missions and it was even rare to see him at dinner.

After them was Fugaku, their father. Ayame always wanted him to teach her a jutsu or two, but to be honest she wasn't far enough into the Academy to do it.

By the looks of it, she could tell Sasuke felt almost the same way. He hasn't really caught his father's 'attention' either.

They all prepared for dinner once Mikoto had everything set out and they had begun to chow down.

"Itachi, have you practiced that new jutsu I showed you?"

"Yes father. I have perfected it long since."

"Father," Sasuke cut in, "Do you...do you think you could teach me the fireball jutsu?"

Fugaku set down his chopsticks and closed his eyes, contemplating what his youngest son had just asked him.

After a few minutes, he finally answered. "I'll see when I have time, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled, hope filling his mind. 'I really hope he accepts me.'

Itachi looked down at his food, flustered. 'Sasuke deserves to be noticed. He is one of the Uchiha clan like the rest of us.'

'Maybe if I ask him, he'll tell me the same thing!' Ayame blushed of shyness.

"Father, do you think you could teach me—"

"Ayame, you are much too young to even think about jutsu right now. Sasuke and Itachi are the only ones who need the teaching right now."

Her head lowered at the rejection. 'But Itachi learned it when he was only five years old!' She wanted to scream at him, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"That's alright, Ayame. I can teach you better jutsus to help you on the battle field for the future."

Fugaku loudly slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone except Itachi, who saw this coming.

"How could you even think of teaching her jutsu at this age?"

Mikoto confidently stood up for her daughter in defense. "Young age or not I will not allow you to push her away, Fugaku!"

The two parents eyed each other for what seemed like hours. After a while Fugaku sighed and walked away from his family, heading outside. Mikoto scoffed at him and sat back down.

"I swear, the nerve of that man..."

Itachi turned towards them, "Perhaps you could teach her medic jutsu. That would be the greatest aid on the battle field."

Sasuke smiled. "Yeah, that really would be. If you got hurt, and you were alone, we wouldn't have to worry so much."

Ayame turned towards her mother. "What do you think, Mom?"

Mikoto was lost in thought, most likely from the fight she just had.

Sasuke and Ayame anime sweat dropped. This was going to be a long night.


	2. You Have My Back

"You're it, Naruto!"

Naruto laughed, chasing Ayame as they were headed to the Academy.

Sasuke would have joined her to walk to the Academy, like he does every morning, but today he didn't because of that same person who he thought didn't take the 'hint' that he didn't want him around Ayame.

That person was Naruto, Ayame's best friend. The only reason he didn't tell him off was because of that. He didn't want to hurt his baby sister so he often kept it to himself around her, but later told Itachi if he was home that day.

Ayame had started learning basic medic jutsu from her mother. She had taught her the basic techniques such as sealing a small wound, stopping a wound from bleeding, etc.

But today was a very important test at the Academy. They were to list the five great kages and their importants to their existing village.

She hoped she could do it. Not just for her future, but for something else, too.

Her father's attention is what she wanted the most.

She wanted him to notice her, too, for her abilities. Her other two brothers could easily master a special Uchiha clan jutsu in just a few days, but they said she wasn't ready for it.

Instead, she took medic jutsu to start with.

It was definitely not easy to begin with because she was draining to much chakra into the wound, not leaving enough to supply herself with.

But as days went by, she was getting better. Her mother, Sasuke, and Itachi noticed it, too.

But not her father. He was too focused on Kami knows what else.

Ayame carefully opened the door to the Academy, remembering to make sure no one else was behind it. The last time she had swung the door open, hitting Sakura Haruno straight in the forehead. Ino Yamanaka teased her and said that's why Sakura's forehead wasn't getting any smaller.

Sasuke had snickered when they had walked away and Shikamaru kept complaining about how annoying they were. Naruto and Ayame were hanging out with Shino as he was talking about how his bug jutsus work and such.

She quickly sat in her seat while Naruto sat next to her and poked her for the last time.

"Heheh, you can't tag me back now!"

"Of course I can! Shino, can you come here?"

Shino mysteriously came out of nowhere.

"What is it you need, Ayame?"

Could you lend me one of your bugs to tag Naruto with?"

Shino shrugged and threw one at Naruto.

"Ahh! Get it off me!" Naruto squirmed so much that he fell on the floor.

Everybody giggled and laughed at the sight, but stopped laughing when Iruka-sensei came in.

Naruto found the bug and threw it off him, quickly siting in his seat next to Ayame.

"This isn't over," he whispered.

"Hehe, I wasn't expecting it to be."

"Well maybe if you didn't get Shino to-"

Shino mysteriously appeared next to him.

"Get to do what...?"

Ayame and Naruto anime sweat dropped.

"Ah, it was nothing, Shino..."

Shino slowly looked away, and disappeared again.

"Alright students. Today is exam day, and to get it over with we will begin it now. Have your pencil ready and I will hand you the papers turned over. When I say 'go' you will flip it over and begin your test."

Many 'Yes Sirs' were said around the room.

Once everyone had obtained their papers, Ayame pondered to herself about the strange things that were going on in her family recently. Itachi ignored everyone now, even their own father, and Sasuke seemed to be feeling the vibe as well. She knew something awful was going to happen soon, but just that alone made her want to run away from her fears.

The question was just _how _soon was it going to happened?

Ayame sighed and grabbed her pencil, but was stopped by the cerulean eyed boy right next to her. "Are you nervous?" He whispered to her, concern in his voice.

She nodded, not wanting him to worry about her. "Yes, a little." He gave her a gentle smile. "That's okay, I am too. I'll always be right by your side, Ayame. You can do this." He placed his small tan hand on top of hers, the same gentle smile that had helped her through many problems for the past few weeks.

She smiled happily, knowing that she has a best friend to always watch out for her. "Thanks Naruto, I'll always be by your side too." The two giggled ecstatically, while the other Uchiha sitting a couple rows above them had quite the opposite feelings. Sasuke wanted to hurt the blonde for touching his baby sister, but quietly calmed himself down and tried to forget about what Naruto just did, which wasn't easy of course.

Iruka-sensei raised his hand to get everyone's attention, and then exclaimed, "Begin!"

Everyone wrote quickly, trying to write everything they memorized before they forgot it again. Ayame did, too, as she had gotten down to the last kage, it was like she couldn't remember it at all. She sighed, trying to remember it again. But nothing was there, and she figured she hadn't studied the Kazekage very well. She elbowed Naruto gently, knowing she could trust him.

"Psst, Naruto!" She whispered, hoping he would respond. She glanced towards him slowly, seeing him struggle with the Mizukage. He turned his attention over to her. "Yeah?" He whispered back.

"Do you, um, think you can help me with the Kazekage?" She whispered as she was blushing a deep red over her pale face. He eyes lit up, "Sure, if you can help me with, uh," He glanced back at his paper, "the Mizukage." She nodded, "Of course you can."

The two of them quickly wrote down each other's answers, and finished just as Iruka-sensei's timer went off, signaling the test was over. "All right everyone; pass your tests to the next person to the right of you until it gets to Hinata." Hinata was a painfully shy girl who didn't talk unless she was spoken to and she seemed to have the biggest crush on Naruto, which was something Ayame felt she wanted to change, but when thought about it she it really something she wanted to change?

Did she to have a crush on Naruto? She shrugged it off, knowing that it couldn't be possible. He would marry a wonderful, beautiful girl in the future and the two would be very happy together. She accepted that fact, knowing one day it would happen eventually to the both of them.

After school was over everyone played outside on the playground next to the Academy. Naruto pushed Ayame on the swing that was located close to the Academy's entrance. She laughed and giggled as he pushed the swing harder so it would go as high as she wanted it. He laughed with her and watched as she went back and forth into the air and close to the ground again.

She turned her attention to him. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for earlier; I couldn't have finished the test if it weren't for you."

He grinned, "Same here."

Behind the Academy door, Iruka-sensei smiled and walked back to his desk. "Thank you, Ayame, for being Naruto's friend." He whispered, grading both of their tests as one hundreds.

Ayame began running home with her bag in hand, knowing very well she was late to come home. She knew she didn't really have a good excuse, and the only reason she was late was because she had so much fun with Naruto. Just thinking about her best friend made her feel content, and she knew she could trust Naruto when it came down to it. He hadn't meant to make her late.

The pale, illuminating orb in the sky scared off the darkness surrounding it, making it slightly easier for her to see where she was going. Sasuke had left without her a few moments earlier, before she had said goodbye to Naruto. She began to have that weird feeling again that something bad was going to happen, but it was much stronger.

If she came home, what would she hear, what would she see? She began shaking in fear as came close to the Uchiha district. The smell of blood lingered around the area, and she didn't stop dead in her tracks. She kept moving, a million thoughts racing through her head at once. Was Sasuke okay? What about mother and father? She finally arrived to see something so gruesome and unexpected that she became so emotional she threw up.

There were dead bodies, stretching throughout the streets of the Uchiha district, with a stronger stench of blood around her. Her aunt and uncle were there, too, on the ground, lifeless like the others. She ran over to them, tears stinging her eyes as she checked for a pulse on both of them, but couldn't find any sign of life. Her eyes grew wide with horror, the worst thought racing through her head. Were her mother and father and Sasuke dead as well?

She couldn't control her legs, and it seemed her body acted upon its own as she sprinted to her own home. It was eerily quiet, and she opened the door to her home and jolted to her parent's room the blink of an eye. As she passed her kitchen window, she saw a strange figure that looked like someone she'd never seen before. He was much taller than father and Itachi and had much longer hair. Once she looked into his eyes, she realized the man was staring at her. She turned around and the kept running to her parents room.

She heard muffled noises on the other side of the door, banging so hard on the wooden door that she left a dent. She heard her mother exclaim loudly, "Ayame, hurry and find your brother and get out of here! Don't come in!" Her mother should have known better than to not believe she wouldn't enter. Ayame kicked the door down and saw something she'd wished she had never seen, and desperately wished she had listened to her mother.

Both of them, her mother and her father…dead, with her mother hanging on the line as she watched Itachi cut her throat, and then drop her to the ground on top of her father. She cried out in pain as her neck bled very fast, and Ayame did the only thing she knew how. She ran to her mother and began healing her neck with medic jutsu, knowing she had to give it her all to keep her mother alive. Tears fell silently from Ayame's face as she realized there would be no way to bring her father back, if she could even help her mother. Her mother whispered painfully, "Get out of here, Ayame, and go find your brother. I want you both to live." A few seconds later, just as Itachi was about to grab her as well, she was relieved to see a familiar face at her home.

"Sasuke!" She shouted, tears falling from her eyes once more. He, too, was crying uncontrollably, and he fell to his knees in agony, giving Itachi the angriest gaze he'd ever given anyone. "What the heck is wrong with you!" He came after Itachi with a kunai, but Itachi grabbed his kunai and punched him in the stomach, his eyes growing wide with pain. He fell to the ground on his hands and knees in pain, heavily trying to breath.

"SASUKE!" She cried out, tears stinging her eyes. Her mother's wound seemed to be healed and she wasn't breathing regularly, and she could only hope and pray she would be okay. She came up to Sasuke to make sure he was okay. Sasuke got on his feet, on the verge of collapsing. Itachi was about to hit him one last time when Ayame's voice stopped him from proceeding. "STOP!" She fell to her knees, crying heavily as she did. The pain she felt was unbearable, and she stared at Itachi until she couldn't anymore.

Itachi dropped his kunai as Sasuke fell unconscious to the floor. She wiped her eyes and waited for a reply from him, but a replay didn't come. "Why, big brother? Why mother and father and Sasuke? Why everybody?" She could have sworn she saw a tear fall from Itachi's eyes, but he gave her a look that hid that side of him completely. "It…it's for the village. You will understand one day." She felt utterly confused and called out for him as he was about to leave, "Wait!" He didn't listen, but as he was about to leave out the window, he whispered gently, "I love you, Ayame and Sasuke."

Ayame cried in pain, and she felt as if she couldn't even stand up. She crawled to Sasuke on the floor, seeing he was alright and breathing fine, and quickly went to her mother to see if she was okay. Her breathing was definitely not good, and the wound wasn't bleeding like earlier. She grabbed her father's hand and checked his pulse, fearing the worst.

There was nothing, not a single heart beat to indicate he was okay. When she thought about it, she knew nothing would be okay after what Itachi had done to them. She curled herself into a ball and cried herself to sleep, desperately trying to pretend that it was all a dream.

She felt the comfortable breeze flow through her black and blue tinted hair and the warmth of the sun greeted her nicely. The bright light seemed to pierce her eyes, almost, even though they were closed. She began to think it was a dream, and she could imagine skipping in a gorgeous flower field with her mother, father, Sasuke, and…Itachi. The horrific images of last night filled her mind quickly, and her small arms grabbed her head in agony. She knew she was screaming by the time she had unclouded her mind of the images.

A nurse had ran in and tried to wake her up, shaking her as gently as she could. Ayame rose up quickly and opened her eyes, not believing where she was. She wasn't at home like she always was, but she was at the hospital. She breathed heavily and examined her room carefully. "Where are my mother and father and Sasuke?" She asked, scared and worries of their conditions.

The nurse glanced at the clipboard she held. "Your mother is in critical condition, and if it weren't for you she wouldn't have been alive right now. You were the one who used medic jutsu on her neck, aren't you?" Ayame thought back through the horrifying memories and nodded. The nurse looked back at the clipboard again, and sighed sadly. She gave Ayame a compassionate look, "Your father had already passed away when the medic team had arrived. I am so sorry." She gave Ayame a hug as tears streamed down Ayame's face, wishing she could have shown him her worth, or maybe she already had when she saved her mother? In all of her good honesty, she could only hope.

The nurse let go and glanced at her clipboard again. "Your brother Sasuke has minor injuries and is asleep at the moment. If you would like we can bring him to you once he has woken up." Ayame nodded eagerly, "Oh yes please, I would love to." The nurse nodded began to walk out of the room, "Please try to get some rest, okay? The whole staff is worried about you three." With that, she was gone.

Ayame felt restless, and she desperately wanted to find Sasuke and tell him what Itachi had said before he left.

"_I love you, Ayame and Sasuke."_ His words filled her mind and she kept repeating it to herself in her mind so she wouldn't forget it. She stretched out of bed and changed into the clean clothes the nurses had left on the chair to the left of her, closest to the small window. She wore a skirt with leggings and a purple short sleeved shirt with beautiful flow designs on the front and back. No shoes were found and she left the hospital gown on the bed and found her equipment next to the chair, and tied the belt of weapons she had received from her mother around her waist. She opened the window more and left Konoha Hospital without a sound.

She jumped on the roofs of houses just outside the hospital and quickly headed towards the Uchiha district, not at all excited but curious to see if she could find Itachi there, even if the chances might as well had been zero.

All the bodies from before had been taken away and the streets were completely empty. The shops were shut down and the aunt and uncle she was so used to being greeted by every day after school had seemed as if they had vanished into thin air. That would have been true if last night had never happened.

She raced to her home and examined the streets as she went. There were tiny spots of blood left but it would have been hard to indicate that a massacre had happened. Anyone would have believed it was just an injured animal. She opened the doors of her home and saw all of their belongings were as they were before, and nothing was out of place. She came to a stop in front of her parents doors, hearing cries from the other side. Slowly opening the door, she was astonished to see who was there.

Sasuke Uchiha, her older brother and best friend sat with his arms over his knee caps and his head over his arms, crying painfully out to no one. She took a step forward and he quickly looked up, seeing he was just as surprised as she was. She had never seen him like that before, and she did the one thing her mother had taught her to do when she was little.

"_Mommy! Sasuke hurt his knee and he's crying!" A younger version of Ayame came running into her mother's arms, a worried expression on her face._

_Mikoto ruffled Ayame's hair and gave her a gentle smile. "Be sure to tell him that I'm on my way, okay?"_

_Ayame cheerfully nodded and gave her mother a hug, "You're the bestest mommy in the entire world!"_

_Mikoto chuckled and bent down to her eye level. "Ayame, have you ever wanted to be able to help your brother when I'm not there to help him?"_

_She pondered at that thought, taping her finger on her chin. "Um…yeah, I think so."_

_She nodded, "If he ever needs your help and you know he does, give him the biggest hug you can, okay?"_

_Ayame giggled, "So I need to go give him a hug?" Mikoto nodded as her young daughter ran as fast as she could to her injured brother, eager to make him feel better. Mikoto chuckled at her cuteness and followed behind her, bringing a medic kit to help her son._

Ayame gave Sasuke the biggest hug she could, and her brother nearly fell to ground as she did. His tears fell to her shirt and after a while, she noticed it was beginning to get dark outside.

"Um, Sasuke?" He looked up from his crying, his bloodshot eyes piercing hers.

"Can we get something to eat?" She asked, trying to change the subject. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked outside as well. He nodded in response. "Do you want to eat in mother's hospital room today?" His eyes lit up slightly, "Yeah, I hope she's okay."

Ayame gave him a gentle smile and looked in his eyes. "She will be. She's a strong woman, you know."

He chuckled, "I won't deny that." The two left the Uchiha district together, knowing in the end they will always have each other's backs.


	3. The Truth

The thought followed him to the hospital like a needle stuck into his brain. He most certainly didn't like to think about it, and when his thoughts seemed to spiral out of control, he would speak to his little sister to keep him distracted.

They talked about school and their training, and friends and their grades. Yet far back to the very recesses of his mind, the images kept coming.

Every one of the Uchiha clan…mother, father, Itachi. Aunt and uncle, they were all…

Gone.

He refused to believe it, even after he had seen it all. _'It was just a dream,'_ He reassured himself, _'Just a really bad dream.'_

The truth was in the hospital room. His mother lay unconscious on the hospital bed, under white blankets, looking peaceful and breathing softly. His little sister, whom had a striking resemblance to his mother, stayed by her bedside while he stood there in her room, astonished by the truth.

His world felt as if it had literally flipped over, every good thing that he had once had turned for the worse. All he ever asked for was a father who would teach him and train him so he could be just like him when he grew up. But now that he was gone, it deemed impossible.

He sat against the wall next to his mother's bed, counting the tiles upon the ceiling, counting the many times he wished to be like his brother. He wished to be strong, popular, looked upon by the villagers for his greatness.

He wanted to take every single wish back. He didn't want to be like a murderer.

He wanted to apologize to his mother when she woke up, and he hoped to Kami she would forgive him. Itachi may have been his older brother, but to him, he wasn't anymore.

He was a cold blood murderer to him now. _That_ would never change.

The black and blue tinted haired boy began to think of his sister, and realized what he had been doing since they had gotten here. All he had been doing was grieving over his loss, and didn't even think about how she would have been feeling. He had been a terrible brother since his father died, and it didn't help that his mother was in the hospital. He had two people to apologize to now.

He stood up and noticed she was crying into the hospital bed, her small arms barely reaching the bed itself. He grabbed another chair and sat next to her, waiting to see if she noticed. She kept crying and crying, and he knew what he had to do.

He gave her a warm, gentle hug, and she instantly stopped crying. She hugged him back and cried in his shoulder, muttering words of thank you.

She stopped and broke their hug, looking up into his eyes, "How come you didn't say anything since we came here?"

"I had…too much on my mind. Ayame, I know I've been a terrible brother. I'm really, really sorry."

She wiped her onyx eyes, a small smile forming on her face. "It's okay, you weren't. It wasn't our fault that this happened."

He nodded, turning towards his unconscious mother. The lights in the hospital room were very dim, almost dark. The nurse probably hadn't even thought that she would like the light and some fresh air.

Or did she? He hadn't paid attention to barely anything since they had come in the hospital.

"Why is it so dark in here? Didn't the nurse ever think about her-"

"Health? Yeah, she didn't open the windows so the light wouldn't wake her up."

The two sighed in unison, waiting patiently for their mother to wake. It seemed like hours had passed like years until she finally came through.

Sasuke sat against the wall next to his mother's bed again, resting while he waited. After everything that had happened, he just wanted it all to go away. Escaping to sleep seemed to let him do just that.

Yet he knew he couldn't do that forever.

He knew one day he would have to take all of this like an adult. Ayame would, too, and mother would be already. She would comfort them and tell how alright everything would be.

It wouldn't be, and he knew father's absence would change their lives.

Mikoto's onyx eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the room's dim lighting. She sat up slightly, bandages of wounds covering her chest and stomach.

"Mother!" Ayame's small figure came running onto the bed carefully and hugged her mother, her crystal tears from before falling from her stagnant eyes again.

Sasuke came next to Ayame, wanting to apologize to his mother. She broke the hug and Mikoto noticed a few bandages on Sasuke's arm and face. His expression was saddened, and he looked like he wanted to say something.

"Mother…I am so, so sorry. I should have never wished I wanted to be like him. I take all of them back. I want to be your son again!"

Mikoto hadn't expected him to say something like that, but knew her son was having it a lot harder than her daughter was. She gave him a warm hug, and whispered to him, "You will always be my son. Nothing was your fault, Sasuke. It was…your brother's."

From then on, Sasuke forever chose to forget about Itachi. He only had a little sister in his life; he had once had an older brother, but that was long ago. Long ago when father was still there.

A knock broke the small silence in the room, and Ayame calmly answered the door.

"Hello?"

The tall, blonde spiky haired ninja stood by the door, and apologetic expression on his face. "I heard a lot of things…are you okay, Ayame?"

Sasuke knew that voice from anywhere, and swore if Naruto did anything to make her cry; the blonde would be stuck here for a long time.

She grimaced, but managed to put a small smile on her face. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll be back to the Academy soon."

He sighed in relief, "That's good. It's really boring without you there."

She blushed a deep red, giggling at his comment. "Really?"

"Y-yeah. I mean…uh…I'm sorry, Ayame."

She laughed, "You don't have to apologize, Naruto. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine."

"Well…okay." He sighed, "But you have to promise we'll train together when you come back, okay? Cause' I'm gonna win this time! Believe it!" With that, the blonde ninja left, the same usual grin on his face.

Ayame shut the door and sighed, noticing Sasuke was watching her.

"Did he hurt you?"

She gave him a confused look. "Um…no?"

He scoffed at her answer, "He better not have."

She sighed, remembering how overprotective her older brother was. She prayed that if she were ever to be Naruto's girlfriend that Sasuke would treat him nicely.

She surprised herself at that thought. _'Me? Naruto's girlfriend?'_ She brushed off the thought and sat with her mother on the hospital bed.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Sasuke?"

The young Uchiha bit his lip in agony and frustration, remembering his loss all over again. "Where will we live…now that father is gone?"

'_And Itachi,'_ Ayame added in her mind, wishing none of this had ever happened.

Mikoto was close to tears at the thought of her husband being gone, but held them in for the sake of her young children.

"I'm not sure yet, Sasuke. It's not a good idea if we stay here, though." 

Ayame was astonished to hear her mother's words. Leave? Konohagakure? The place she grew up in?

All of her friends suddenly came to mind, especially Naruto.

"What do you mean, 'not a good idea'?" Mikoto sighed, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I'm thinking if we stay in Konoha it would make it harder for you both to get over your losses."

She swatted her mother's arm away. "What do you know about it? It's not like you have a best friend that almost everyone hates, and a brother whom hates him! I don't want to leave my friends, mother! I don't want to leave Konoha, either."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sasuke interrogated.

She sighed and opened the door, giving her mother and brother a sideways glance. "I suggest we stay here." With that, she left.

She had no idea where she would go, but she knew she needed time to be alone. Leaving the hospital, she walked the streets of Konohagakure, with no particular destination in mind.

That is, until a certain blonde spiky haired ninja somehow suddenly appeared right next to her.

"Hey, Ayame. I thought you were at the hospital?"

"I was, but I decided to take a walk."

"Do you mind if I walk with you?"

She smiled, "Not at all."

He grinned, scratching the back of his head.

The two began to walk to the lake that separated both sides of the village by a large bridge. On the side of the lake was a dock that she and her brother would sit by when they were troubled by something.

She smiled to herself, remembering the first time she found him here.

"_Why won't you tell us what's wrong, Sasuke?" Mother asked, but was quickly brushed away by a younger, angrier Sasuke. _

"_I don't want to talk about it! Leave me alone!" He slammed the door and left the house, leaving a very confused parent pondering._

"_What in the world could be wrong with that boy? If his father were here, we would surely know by now."_

_Ayame, being five years old at the time, tugged on her mother's shirt, "Mommy, what's wrong with Sasuke?"_

_Her mother loved her very much, and knelt down to her eye level. "Sasuke's just a little frustrated right now, honey. He'll be okay."_

_The little girl giggled, "Okay. I hope he comes home soon."_

_Time seemed to pass quickly, and by the time dinner was finished he was still nowhere to be found at the Uchiha household. Mikoto's husband was on a mission and was going to be gone for a few weeks, so she had no idea of what to do. She would go herself, but she had to watch Ayame. That is, until she realize she was missing._

_Mikoto left the house quickly and asked anyone around her home if they had seen a small black and blue tinted haired girl around here. Most of them had said no, and one of them told her she had gone down to the lake separating the village._

_Ayame ran onto the dock and noticed her older brother quickly, sitting right next to him on the dock._

_Sasuke turned to her, giving her a confused look._

"_How did you know I would be here, Ayame?"_

_The little girl giggled, "I found you."_

_He ruffled her hair softly, giving her a small smile._

"_You should be getting home soon. Mother will be looking for you."_

"_But Sasuke, Momma's looking for you!"_

_Sasuke was surprised to hear that. "Is she really?"_

_She nodded, pointing Mikoto as she came running down towards them. "See? Told you so."_

_Sasuke laughed, loving how cute his little sister was at times. Mikoto's expression was the complete opposite of that, though._

"_Sasuke Uchiha! If you ever run away from home like that again I'll call your father from his mission!"_

_That seemed to put Sasuke in a dangerous situation, and he sighed, giving up. "I'm sorry, Mother."_

_Mikoto grabbed Ayame's hand, "Let's go home, Ayame. Dinner tonight is your favorite."_

"_Yay!" The three started their way back home, leaving the lake that separated the village._

Crystal tears fell from her onyx eyes, falling gently into the lake that seemed to shimmer to no end. The village held so many memories for all of them; she didn't want to even think about leaving.

But she had to. For her mother's sake.

She stood silently on the dock next to the blonde, unsure of how to tell him her mother's words.

"Naruto, there's…something I have to tell you."

He smiled and blushed a bit, gazing into her onyx, stagnant eyes.

More crystal tears fell from her eyes, falling into the water around them.

"Ayame? Ayame, what's wrong?" He asked, shaking her shoulder.

"I…have to leave, Konoha."

All of the happiness and excitement left his face entirely, and he barely managed to say anything.

"W-what?"

She turned to him, ready to tell him her mother's words. "My mother thinks it would be best if we moved from Konoha, after what happened. She believes it would help us get over our loss."

He was still utterly astonished to hear this, unable to say what he wanted to say.

She hugged him as hard as she could, honestly never wanting to let go. Naruto hugged back, his soft, tan hands brushing away her tears.

"Don't worry, Ayame. We'll see each other again one day. It might be tomorrow, a week from now, or even years. But one day I'll see you again. Believe it."

She laughed, his catch phrase and reassurance cheering her up. She broke the hug and stared into his sky blue eyes.

"Naruto?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything."

He grinned his usual, optimistic, energetic grin.

"Don't mention it."

Then two headed back towards the hospital, stopping in front of the building.

"Do you know when you're going to leave?"

"No, but you'll be the first to know."

"Promise?" He held his pinky out to her.

"Promise." She wrapped her pinky around his, sealing the promise between them.

She entered the hospital and came to her mother's room, whom was asleep. Sasuke was gone, and she assumed that he left so she could get some rest.

She plopped down quietly in one of the wooden chairs next to her bed, staring out the now open window. The sky was now clouded, the sun covered by the giant white puffs. She wished the day hadn't gone by as quickly as it did, and wished things weren't said like they were.

She didn't want to accept her mother's decision, but tried to anyway. It would do her mother good if Ayame weren't being so difficult. The clouds began to turn a darker grey, and within a few seconds they exploded into rain. Her eye lids grew heavy with exhaustion, and soon after she fell asleep on the side of her mother's white hospital bed sheets, dreaming of the memories she created in the village she knew she would soon have to leave.


	4. Surprise

Morning had come. The small, cheerful, melodic birds outside were chirping beautifully as the sun rose like a giant beach ball rising out from under the water. The small Uchiha girl could hardly sleep, just thinking about how terrible it would be to leave everything behind. Sasuke had said that they would adapt, overtime, to the new place that they would go to, but she didn't want to believe it. She hoped with all of her heart that her mother was just having a bad day that day she had said they would leave, and she would have forgotten all about it the next day.

Then she wondered softly to herself, "What would happen if we stay here? Would everyone treat me as the same person?" Closing her eyes, she daydreamed of the Academy she had been going to for so long, all of her classmates and friends and family sitting at their usual desks. She sat next to Hanabi and Sasuke, and next to Hanabi was Shino and next to Sasuke was Shikamaru. Behind her was none other than Naruto. She imagined all of the many times they had gotten in trouble together for talking and pulling pranks and making jokes at the teacher. It hardly ever went well, since Naruto was usually the one caught doing the pranks. Sasuke had caught her doing it once, and had gotten very angry.

"_Ayame, what are you doing? Is this how you choose to represent the clan?"_

After hearing his words and remembering all of the many times she had tried to catch her father's attention, she had come to realization. If she kept going the same path as Naruto, she would have a lot of fun, but she wouldn't get anywhere with her father. She hoped that if she stopped, maybe Naruto would, too.

He eventually did, after the third or fourth time of telling him 'no'. She didn't want to tell him why, and when he would ask, she would just know that Sasuke was listening. It was such a long time ago, but now that she realized she might never see him again, she wished she could have gone back in time and told him why, even though her brother was listening. She didn't want to keep anything a secret to Naruto, since he was her best friend, of course.

Everyone in the hospital room was asleep. Sasuke was sleeping against the wall and her mother in the white hospital bed with the whitest sheets, the window opened slightly for fresh air. A sudden thought struck her mind.

'_What if I…went to Naruto's house, and then came back here later? I'm sure Mother would understand.'_ She nodded at that thought, putting her shoes on and then quietly walking to the window. She gazed out the window for a few minutes when something suddenly caught her eye.

The spiky blonde headed ninja was heading towards the hospital, the same usual grin plastered on his face. She turned to her sleeping family, smiling at how peaceful they both looked. "I promise I'll be back…you're the only family I have." Jumping out the window, she landed gracefully on her feet, just inches away from Naruto's face.

"HOLY CRAP!" He shouted, falling backwards on the concrete. Ayame laughed, wishing she could've replayed that again. He stood up and scratched the back of his head, looking up from where she fell from and down to where she landed.

"You have good aim, Ayame! You really got me there."

"Thanks, Naruto." She smiled, "So what are you doing here? I thought the plan was for me to come to you?"

"Well, uh…see, I was at home, really bored and stuff, and I was thinking about how you were leaving today…so I thought maybe we could spend you're last day here together."

Ayame blushed, "R-really, Naruto?"

"Yeah! It'll be a lot of fun, come on!" He took her pale hand into his tan, guiding her to what would begin as her last day in Konohagakure.

They passed many buildings that had, over time, become memorable to her. There was Ichiraku Ramen, the place where the two had eaten lunch together with Iruka-sensei often, and the Ninja Academy, where she had met all of her friends and had begun to shape her life dramatically.

She knew that after everything Itachi did, things wouldn't ever be the same. She didn't want to believe it herself, but there was something her father had always told her when she was a child.

"_You can only follow your dreams as a shinobi if you face reality. If you face reality recklessly, you won't get anywhere."_

She knew the answer. The answer to her problems, and if it weren't for her father, she probably wouldn't have been able to.

Naruto suddenly stopped in front of the small restaurant, turning towards Ayame. "For your last day…I was wondering if we could spend some of it here. Just you and me." He blushed, his usual grin plastered on his face.

She giggled, taking his tan hand, "Of course! That would be wonderful." She stared into his sky blue eyes, imagining the wide blue ocean, moving beautifully and gracefully with the moons gravitational pull.

He chuckled, "Ladies first, Ayame." He followed her through the red curtains and sat next to her on the stool.

"Two bowls of ramen, extra miso!" Naruto cheerfully said, turning to Ayame, "What about you?"

"Um…the same thing, please." The waitress nodded and left.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, "Hey, Ayame?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Are…are you going to miss me?"

Ayame cocked her head to the side, confused by his question. "_Of course_ I will! You were my first friend here, and that'll never change."

"Yeah, you're right. We shouldn't ever have to question out friendship, huh?"

Ayame smiled and nodded. "Exactly." The waitress came back with their bowls and laid them down in front of them.

"That'll be thirty-five ye-" She was stopped by the children's shouting.

"Y-you shouldn't pay for this! It's your last day here, Ayame, I'll-"

"N-no! It'll be the last time I ever pay for something here!"

"Do you even have any money with you?" Naruto anime sweat dropped.

"Of course I do! See?" She took her yen out of her pocket. "Five, ten, and fifteen…"

"Oh no! It's not enough!" Ayame gasped, frantically searching for money in both of her pockets.

"W-wait! We can pay for it together! That'll make it even!"

Ayame looked up at him with a blank expression on her face. "Yeah, I guess it would."

Naruto anime sweat dropped and sighed. _'So much for a relaxing last day…_'

The young spikey haired boy handed the waitress a twenty as Ayame handed her her fifteen yen.

"Have a good day you two." With that, the waitress quietly went back to the kitchen. Naruto turned to Ayame with a huge smile plastered on his face.

"We should have a contest."

Ayame raised a brow, "You, challenging me?"

Naruto smirked, "Exactly. The winner gets another bowl of ramen, but the loser…has to kiss the winner."

Ayame's face became redder than a rose. "W-what? How is that fair?"

Naruto smirked, but behind that smirk was a small blush of his own. She couldn't believe that he would actually think of that, even though there were many times she would imagine the two of them together.

The young Uchiha froze. A kiss? She had absolutely no idea how to do that. She felt herself getting nervous, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of him. She sighed, really not wanting to do this. It was her last day there, though, so what in the world could happen?

"Fine, let's do this." Ayame blushed a bit, thinking about what the kiss would be like.

Naruto grinned, a smirk appearing over his features, "Ready," The two picked up their chopsticks, "Set," The two moved closer to the counter, "GO!"

The young academy students ate faster than the speed of lightning, and the waitress seemed completely astonished by their speed. Naruto's bowl came half way finished, Ayame's came close to half way. The young blonde was getting closer to winning, but Ayame was one step behind him.

He dropped his chopsticks right before she did, turning to her with an expression of triumph. Ayame began to blush the deepest red, and began seriously thinking about turning around.

Just as she jumped off of her stool, he did as well, coming inches to her face. He brushed back her black and blue tinted hair with his tan hand, and he smiled at her expression. "Are you really…that nervous, Ayame?" He asked, chuckling at her reaction to his touch.

Ayame bit her lip and after a few minutes of trying to calm down, she sighed. Naruto's eyes were filled with curiosity, wanting to see if she'll actually do it instead of running away.

"Close your eyes." Naruto listened and closed his sky blue eyes, waiting for something to happen. Ayame brought her lips to his softly, not wanting to hurt him in any way. She knew somewhere inside her she deeply cared about Naruto, but she had never dug deeper into her heart to know just how deep her feelings for him run. She felt him deepen the kiss slightly more, and she suddenly had the feeling that she didn't want him to let go.

She wanted to be with him forever. It hurt worse just thinking about how she couldn't stay here with the guy she wanted to be with.

She broke the kiss quickly, and Naruto was startled by her actions. "Ayame, what's wrong? Did I do something that upset you?"

She stared at the ground, trying to hide her tears from him. She could run away like a coward, but she wanted to do the opposite. She would tell him how she really felt about everything.

"Naruto…I wish…I wish all of this could last forever. I don't ever want to leave your side!" She whimpered, embracing him tightly. He placed his hand on her head to give her comfort, and then hugged her back, not wanting to see her cry like that. After hearing the young Uchiha's words, everything started to kick in. All of the pain and loss he tried to conceal was now inevitable, and he realized one important thing that the two of them should always remember.

"Ayame…" She released him, and her teary onyx eyes looked up into his sky blue. "I know how you feel. To be honest, when I heard about your clan's…you know, I was terrified. I tried going to the Uchiha district but there were tons of ninjas guarding the area and medics were taking bodies away. The scent of blood was everywhere, and as soon as they saw me they made me leave. I stayed in my room two days straight, just waiting for a sign. On the second day, I left my house and I heard some of the villagers talking about the only Uchiha survivors. When I heard your name, my heart skipped a dozen beats. I was so happy and relieved to know that you were alive."

Ayame became flabbergasted, and she had no idea what to tell him. She wanted to say something, but it just wouldn't come out. Her hands felt as if they were moving themselves behind his neck, and their faces came closer and closer. He placed his hands on her hips, gazing into her eyes.

"Ayame, I love you."

Her lips crashed into his instantly. The warmth of his lips gave her a happiness she knew no other could give her. No matter where she would go, whom she would meet, Naruto would be her one and only. The kiss seemed to last forever, until Naruto broke the kiss for air.

Catching his breath, then two looked up at each other in unison, staring into each other's stagnant eyes. The light from the ever so graciously shining sun intruded through the dark green curtains, gleaming down on the two young lover's faces. Naruto caressed her cheek gently, a small smile forming on his face.

"I have a surprise for you."

Ayame raised a brow, her once ecstatic expression replaced by confusion. Naruto chuckled, moving his hand back to his side and taking her small pale hand once again. "Come on, I know you'll love this."

The young couple ran through the streets of Konoha, heading straight for the edge of the city, close to the river Ayame and Sasuke had very many memories of. Seeing the direction they were headed, the young Uchiha became much more confused. _'The Academy? Why?'_

The young blonde lead her around the Academy towards the back, but the black haired blue tinted Uchiha knew where they were going. She knew the Academy pretty well since she and Naruto had even become friends.

As they came to their destination, she recognized many of the people who were there: Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, and Hinata and Hanabi Hyuga. Even Neji Hyuga, whom chose to keep his distance from people often, was there with his friends and cousins.

Just as she was about to ask, Naruto turned to her with his usual grin, laughing as he began to see the excitement in Ayame's face. "Hahah, I gathered all of our friends to come hang out at the playground with us for your last day."

Ayame's eyes began to swell up with tears as she looked at each and every person there. "Y-you mean…you did all of this…just for me?"

Naruto wiped away her tears with his thumb, and kissed her hands gently. "Ayame, I know we're young, but I know I love you. The feelings I get when I'm around you, are, um, well…"

Every one there besides Ayame and Naruto anime sweat dropped, and Shikamaru muttered, "What an idiot."

Becoming nervous and realizing how quickly time was slipping away, he gave her his most serious face that he could have ever tried to do. "I don't care how far away we are, but I really don't wanna lose you. I know one day I'll see you again, and I hope it's the same for you." He raised her chin with his two fingers, raising her eyes to meet his. "These miles between us can't break us apart. Believe it!"

It became silent for a few minutes, and then Hinata started clapping, and then Choji and Shino, then the whole crowd of people erupted into a deafening cheer. "I believe you, Naruto. I promise." She embraced him tightly, giving what would be the last embrace they would have in a long time.

The crowd suddenly ran over to them and began hugging Ayame goodbye, giving her handshakes and handmade cards. Hanabi turned to her best friend with a small yet pained smile. "I'm going to miss you a lot. You're like my sister, you know? Who will I hang out with when my father wants me to train nonstop again?" The dark brown haired Hyuga gave Ayame a big hug, and then handed her a handmade card as well.

"I won't be gone forever. I promise." Ayame gave her a reassuring smile, hoping to show everyone that she would be okay. Only then did she see the sunset, and realized how late it was.

"I…I have to go! Goodbye, guys!" She began to wave and run away from the playground when the young blonde's tan hand wrapped around hers. "Can I go with you?"

Ayame giggled, wrapping her hand around his as well. "Of course!"

Naruto hoped that she wouldn't be in trouble for being gone so long. He knew that if she was, he would automatically take the blame. Heck, he was the one who kept her for so long to begin with.

The surviving members of the Uchiha family met at the front gates of Konoha, impatiently waiting for their missing member to come. Sasuke leaned against the carriage once again, sighing angrily at how late she was. Mikoto sat in the carriage's driver's seat, impatiently waiting as well, yet keeping her anger to herself.

Ayame and Naruto ran up to them with lightning speed, slipping and falling to the ground in unison. Mikoto covered her mouth, "A-Ayame! Are you alright?" Sasuke anime sweat dropped and muttered, "Are you kidding me?"

Naruto helped Ayame into the carriage, and then whispered, "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

Ayame felt her eyes beginning to swell with tears, but forcefully held them back. _'I can't...not here, not now! I can't let Naruto feel as bad as he already does.'_

"The hidden sand village, here we come!" Mikoto shouted as the carriage began moving. Ayame's face lit up with pure happiness, now realizing how close she and Naruto really would be. Naruto's face lit up as well, his usual grin always putting her in good spirits. He waved to her as the carriage left through the gates, closing just as they left. The young blonde found himself still waving, half expecting her to jump out somewhere and surprise him, just like he surprised her.

His usual grin slowly faded as nightfall came, and he still found himself in the same place. He pictured how the carriage left earlier, quickly leaving through the gates and closing on its way out. He knew he shouldn't be sad, but deep inside, he just couldn't help it.

The girl he fell in love with was now gone.


	5. A New Friend

The barren land of sand couldn't have been any hotter that morning. After coming to the entrance of Sunagakure, Ayame, her mother, and Sasuke had to walk the rest of the way to the sand village. Sasuke carried the heaviest of the luggage while his mother and sister carried the lighter things. The sweltering heat came upon them like insects, eating them up with each heavy step that was taken. The more beads of sweat that fell, the more parched each of them became.

By the time late afternoon rolled around they came across a hotel. _'This place seems oddly deserted,'_ Ayame peered around the small room, but saw nothing. The decrepit woman behind the counter handed Mikoto the keys to the hotel, and the three of them headed up the stairs. It had become cooler outside now that the flare of the sun's heat had passed. "Sasuke, why is it different here? Why is the sun gone so soon?"

"Because followers of the desert need sleep." Sasuke yawned, curling the covers up to his chin and ending the conversation. Ayame sighed, _'I'm just not tired. Not yet.'_ A few hours later, when Ayame was sure everyone was asleep, crawled out of bed quietly and slipped on her sandals. She headed out the hotel door and had an intake of breath. The radiant, luminous moon was gigantic. The young Uchiha had never seen the moon look so colossal. The silent moon hung silently in the night sky, a perfect silver disk, bleaching the desert in all of its glory.

It was slightly windy outside as it had been before. Sand circled into the air, and Ayame kept her hand over her mouth and nose to make sure the sand didn't get in. It was so serene, so gorgeous, so – before she knew it, a young boy about the same age as her stood three houses down from her, glaring at her with a deadly stare. If looks could kill, well, Ayame would be done for.

The young boy held a mixture of green and blue eyes, but they were beautiful all the same. His complexion was very sallow, with a midnight black ring around each of his big eyes. Ruby red hair came to the back of his neck, with short bangs that was longer as it came down to his ears. He carried on his back a gourd, and it seemed the sand whipped around him more than it did anywhere else.

Ayame wasn't scared. Heck, she wanted to talk to him, to reach out to the boy and become his friend. _'What would Naruto do at a time like this?'_ Ayame knew the answer to that before it even came to her. Stretching her palm out towards him, she whispered, "Please." His gaze slightly softened, but it didn't last long. He slowly walked closer, and she got a better look at him. Dried tears were all over his cheeks, and he still seemed defensive. "Why are you here?" He whispered with an aggravated tone in his small voice. Each word he said seemed to take a lot of control to say. Ayame searched his eyes for something she couldn't see. "I just moved here. Well, not completely yet. We're staying at the hotel over there," she pointed, "It's so beautiful out here. What's the harm?" She whispered back, but as soon as she did she regretted it. An eerie feeling came over her, and she fought the urge to scream.

"What…what's going on?" The red haired boy scowled, his eyebrows burrowed in anger. "Go back there. _Now_." Ayame shook her head. "I can't leave you alone. Not right now. You'll get hurt."

"I can't be hurt. Not now, not ever." His voice held a mixture of bleakness and insecurity. "What…what do you mean?" There was no time to explain. A thug came from above and threw his kunai out at the boy. This was it. Ayame couldn't save him now. She screamed. To her astonishment, a wall of sand covered him instantly, and he didn't seem the least bit worried. The thug gasped, and back away slowly. "No…please, don't kill me!" The tears came back to the boys eyes. "Why are you…so afraid of me!?" Within seconds the sand came from the boy and pummeled into the thug's body with such force that the thug wasn't visible anymore. The boy's red hair matched the man's body. Ayame watched in horror. She fell on her knees, hugging them roughly and whimpering to herself. _'That didn't just happen. He is better than that. The man will be okay.'_

The young boy's tears came down like a waterfall. His eyes sought out Ayame, and he felt as if his heart had sunk down below all of the sand around them. "I couldn't control it!" He cried out, "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He sank to his knees, moving his hands to eyes, sobbing loudly to himself. Ayame couldn't look at the thug again, or she would've thrown up. The incident reminded her too much of what happened to her clan. She crawled through the sand and red liquid, coming just inches away from the boy. Lightly touching his hand, his body jumped a little and he came closer to her, rage evident in his features.

"Stay away from me! Don't touch me! I'm nothing but…a monster." He started sobbing again, but Ayame shook her head and picked him up into an embrace. She held him and rubbed his back reassuringly, trying to get him to calm down. "What are…what are you doing?" He whispered with a look of disbelief into the brilliant greenish blue eyes that kept a hold on her. "I don't think you're a monster," Ayame muttered softly, "I want to believe none of this is your fault."

He held her back then. "Me too."

She peered into his eyes then, and a great big smile zapped upon her face. "You're the first friend I've made here. I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to make friends," she sighed. "What's your name?"

"Gaara." He said, feeling all of this was too good to be true. "Mine's Ayame." She smiled then, and came to a realization. Her family was going to kill her if they found her out here!

"Will I ever see you again?" She asked, a depth of loneliness erupting in her mind. Gaara gave a cute smile you would see on any person you may come across, but his was genuine. "I hope so."

Ayame stood up, and helped Gaara to his feet. "Get home safely. See you around." Ayame smiled and waved, trying her best to avoid the man's corpse just around the corner. When Ayame made it back to the hotel room, she slipped into her bed quietly and began to hear noises from outside the hotel.

"…that monster of his..."

"The Kazekage didn't plan it to go this way, he…"

Ayame tried to listen harder, but slight information was still there. The Kazekage? No, he wouldn't. A leader of his village wouldn't do that to a small boy. And what monster? Ayame hoped they were talking about the thug. _'Now I understand why he thought of himself as a monster,'_ tears fell from Ayame's eyes, _'poor Gaara doesn't deserve this. I've gotta find him tomorrow. I just have to."_

Someone was screaming. Who would be screaming at this hour? The young Uchiha shot up from her bed, and froze. The window had a message in dried blood: _The monster will come for you, too._ _'Gaara is not a monster!' _Sasuke lay next to her eyes wide, trying to wake their mother. Ayame had to get to the bottom of this. _'_Gaara_ is a wonderful person on the inside. None of this is his fault.' _Getting out of bed, Ayame grabbed some clothes and was about to take a shower when Sasuke yelled at her, anger evident in his features.

"You know something about this, don't you? You're always getting into trouble!"

"Sasuke, stop blaming Ayame. We will talk to the police today."

Sasuke scoffed, not believing Ayame didn't have any part of this. And that was okay. Ayame would figure everything out. She just had to get out of the hotel room without seeming suspicious. After getting a shower, she realized no one was in the hotel room. Ayame went out the hotel door, taking one last glance at the bloody window, then left.

It was as hot as ever outside. Ayame zoomed through the crowd for traces of red hair. There was no one whom fit that description. After a few hours had passed she was about to give up, when she spotted Gaara sitting by himself in an alley. "Gaara?" She whispered, walking closer to him. There were no villagers around this particular area. He looked up at her, holding a small teddy bear. He seemed cold. Distant.

"I…I want to ask you something," she began, sitting in front of him, "there was a message written in blood on our hotel window this morning-" Gaara backed away against the wall, fear evident in his eyes. "You can't be seen with me. They will do horrible things, they-"

"_Who _will?" Ayame questioned, sitting on her knees. "I have to know. Please, Gaara. Tell me what's going on."

"My father."

The wind seemed cold then, and not the cold that would make you feel good in a steaming hot desert. Chills ran down her spine. "W-why?"

Gaara shook his head. "You just- you can't be_ here_. With me. They will ask you to try to hurt me. To turn me against you."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Tears welled up in Ayame's eyes. "What does this mean for me? My family? For _you_?"

Gaara stood up, his hair covering his face. "Just stay away."

Ayame tried to grab his ankle to stop him, but the sand stopped her. "I can't! I won't!" Ayame ran after him, through twists and turns through the buildings and villagers. Before she knew it, he was gone. "No…" Ayame cried softly, but she wouldn't give up. She wouldn't give up on a friend.


	6. The Sandstorm

The next few days in Ayame's life had been dreary. The scarlet haired boy hadn't left her mind since the day he walked away from her. Mikoto Uchiha had been trying to figure out why her daughter was spacing out so much, especially since they would be moving into their new house tomorrow. Shinobi had come to their hotel after Gaara had walked away that evening, and proclaiming that none of them should be walking around the village at night. That earned a stern look from her mother, a silent look that meant she would be watching for her to stay inside at night. Ayame didn't protest, though, because at least the daytime was still available to her.

The sun was shining at its best today, attacking every villager with its rays of sweltering sunshine. Sunagakure was nothing like Konohagakure – it wasn't safe at night, the villagers weren't very friendly, and you had to watch yourself and your surroundings. Ayame knew this and hated it, wishing she could go back to Naruto and back to the place she called home. And most of all, Ayame missed her father, and the older brother who betrayed them all. Deep inside, she knew why Sasuke had become so aggressive since the massacre happened. It was hard for him to get their father's attention, and now that he really didn't have a father anymore, he didn't know how to channel his anger and accept what's happened. Ayame knew something, though: Itachi had a reason for doing what he did. And when she is given the opportunity to see him again, she will ask all the questions that plague her mind when she thinks about what happened.

Ayame decided to take a leisurely walk around the village. Everyone seemed unusually talkative all around her, and she honestly loved being around people. It reminded her so much of her clan. The day was beautiful; it was the beginning of a golden day.

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah, that monster killed another shinobi last night. Doesn't his father know when to stop? We're already kind of low on shinobi and ninja."

Ayame stopped, and peered inside of the tea shop. The two women kept talking.

"I have no idea. I heard the Kazekage tried to attack him himself. His son would make the perfect defense for Suna."

The other women nodded, and the two continued talking. Ayame was surprised. She never would've guessed that Gaara would be the Kazekage's son. She wanted to protect him. Protect Gaara and save him from the abuse he had to deal with. Ayame knew that was impossible. How was Ayame supposed to tell the leader of Suna that she wanted him to stop hurting his son? That would be a horrible way to be kicked out of Suna.

_'Everyone thinks he's a monster. But why?' _Ayame remembered the night Gaara had accidently killed the thug. It's self-defense on Garra's part. He can't control his gift. _'Maybe to him it would be a curse,'_ Ayame thought, and started walking again, _'but I think it's amazing. Maybe I can change him. Change him to not kill anyone.' _She knew that could very well be impossible, though.

Ayame walked aimlessly, thoughts swirling over and over. She wanted to find him, but first she needed time to think. After a while, the young Uchiha realized she is no longer in the village, but in the training grounds of it. A young girl was up ahead, throwing kunai and shurikens at a practice dummy of wood. She held deep pine green eyes and a very determined look on her face. She decorated her sandy brown hair in four pony tails, wearing black attire. The young girl walked closer, and the older girl stopped.

"Who are you? I've ever seen you at the academy." She asked, picking up her thrown shuriken and pulling a few kunai out of the dummy.

"Ayame. I just moved here a few days ago." She smiled, glancing from the dummy to her weapons. "Mind if I give it a try?"

The older girl smirked. "Sure, but I doubt you could best _me_. I'm the fastest thrower at the academy."

Ayame laughed at this. "Really now? Why don't we see who the best thrower is, then?"

The older ninja-in-training felt scornful towards this. "Bring it."

For hours, the two girls threw and picked up every kunai and shuriken in the older girls bag. Ayame could feel herself becoming stronger while doing this and was having a lot of fun. The older girl was highly competitive, though - and blunt about how she felt about something. Ayame didn't let it bother her, though. Hanabi was never the competitive person towards her, but a challenge was never passed up from an Uchiha. Her father taught her that much.

When the sun began to set, the two girls were huffing for breath, lying on the warm sand next to each other. "Who do you think won?"

The older girl laughed. "Me, of course. But I never thought I'd ever meet anyone challenging here in Suna. I have underestimated you."

Those words alone made Ayame smile. Now she had two friends. Well, one friend and now a rival. "We should do this again sometime, uhh…what's your name?" Ayame blushed, feeling embarrassed that she even forgot to ask such a thing.

The older girl stood up, pointing a thumb to herself, her shadow towering over Ayame. "The name's Temari. I look forward to seeing you at the academy, Ayame."

"Thanks! I should be getting home. I look forward to challenging you again soon, Temari."

The day went exactly like that. She walked to the hotel and helped her mother and Sasuke pack their things for the move tomorrow. The young Uchiha girl felt so excited for tomorrow, and the next day when she would be attending the academy. Ayame felt as if she could tackle every obstacle that came her way.

"Mother, I met a new friend earlier!"

Mikoto smiled happily. "That's wonderful news, sweetie! Who is it?"

"Her name's Temari, she goes to the academy, Mom. I can't wait to go."

Mikoto chuckled and ruffled her daughter hair. "You will be going soon. Your father would be so proud of you, Ayame." That alone made Ayame's day ten times better.

Later that evening, when everyone was sound asleep, Ayame woke to the sound of fierce wind smacking against the hotel window. The sand was whirling crazily outside. What if Gaara is out there like he usually is, caught up in the sandstorm? Ayame had to save him. She couldn't let him keep her away from him forever.

The blue and black haired girl got dressed in her usual Uchiha attire, which she hadn't wore since they had come to this country, slipped on her sandals, and wrapped a towel from the bathroom around her face to make sure nothing got in her nose, eyes, or mouth. She knew the towel wouldn't help much, but it was worth a try.

The outside was a mess. It was impossible to see straight, and she kept coughing from all of the sand going into her nose. _'I don't know why I'm doing this,'_ she shook her head; _'I can't even see him, even if I wanted to.' _After a few minutes of walking Ayame eventually came to a place where she didn't feel the push and pull of the sand against her. Lifting the towel from her face, Ayame realized she was in the alley she met Gaara a few days before. It was dark but safe against the sand filled storm.

She walked to the end of the alley and found it to be empty, except for a small teddy bear. "That's…that's Garra's teddy bear!" Ayame looked around. "Where could he be?"

Picking up the small bear, the young Uchiha set out into the cold, dangerous storm to search for a certain red head boy. A strange feeling overcame her as she drew closer and closer to what she assumed was the center of the village. An incredibly strong chakra stood close to her, and she instantly became terrified. _'I should have listened to them,'_ she thought, shutting her eyes tightly, _'I should've never come outside tonight.'_

Suddenly, the dangerous chakra grabbed her, and she realized it to be a small hand. It pulled her, dragging her back to what she realized was the small alley she came from. The strong chakra dissipated and the sand made its way back into the gourd held by none other than Gaara. He gazed at her heatedly, pushing her until they were at the end of the alley.

"Why won't you listen to me?" His fists tightened, "You could have gotten yourself killed out there!"

Ayame shook her head. "Listen, Gaara. You're my friend. I don't care if you're the toughest person in this country. I still want to protect you. I want to know why you're out here at night and why everyone calls you a monster."

Gaara screamed, and punched the wall next to Ayame's head, clutching his head with his other hand. "I. Am not. A monster!" His chakra spiked and sand came whirling into the alley. Ayame coughed violently, "Gaara," she wheezed, unable to breathe, "I don't think you're a monster."

He shook his head. "I hold a demon inside me. It is strong enough to kill anyone easily. Everyone hates me and calls me a monster. Father sends his shinobi after me to kill them."

"Why kill them, Gaara?"

"That's all I know. It's all I've ever known."

The wind stopped then, and tears were clear on the scarlet haired boy's face. "I don't want to kill them. They hate me, but I don't want to. Father makes them do it. He…" Gaara choked up on tears then, and he fell to his knees. Ayame sat in front of him. "He tried to kill me earlier!" Ayame was at a loss. What kind of man could do this to his own son?

Ayame gave Gaara his teddy bear and he grasped it tightly. "Why are you nice to me, Ayame? Why are you different?" The young Uchiha smiled. "Because I've been there," she hugged him, "I've been to that world called loneliness."

The young boy blushed, feeling a kind of happiness he had never felt towards anyone except his uncle. Someone else finally accepted him. "Thank you," he cried, "for all of this. Can you promise not to let anyone change your mind?"

Ayame laughed. "I promise."

"LET GO OF MY SISTER!"

A whirl of kunai flashed before Garra's eyes, and Ayame screamed. The sand blocked it, though, but Gaara freaked out. "Sasuke! He did nothing wrong!" Ayame yelled at her brother, and silently cursed for him being overprotective like this. "Ayame, you're making a big mistake. This kid is a monster! Do you know how many people he's slaughtered?" Ayame shook her head, not wanting to believe a word he said.

"DO YOU?!"

"SASUKE, STOP IT!"

Gaara gripped his head again. "I…am not a monster!" The sand came at Sasuke then, and none of them could do anything to stop it. "Gaara, no!"

Sasuke slammed against the wall. Gaara clutched his head tighter, breathing hard. "I…I can't control it! This pain…"

Sasuke got up again, his legs scratched up but seemingly okay. "He has a demon inside him, Ayame! I won't let him hurt you! You're coming back home with me, and you're going to leave my sister alone!"

"Leave him alone, Sasuke. Please." She begged, unable to hold back her tears.

"I said, LET HER GO!" Sasuke charged at him, and Garra's self-defense kicked in. Huge amounts of sand charged back at Sasuke. Ayame got in the middle of them, but they were moving too quick to stop. "STOP!"


End file.
